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2023 Neil Dierks Scholarship Announcement

The National Pork Producers Council is pleased to announce the 2023 Neil Dierks Scholarship, which is sponsored by the National Pork Industry Foundation and is managed and administered by the National Pork Producers Council.

The US pork industry can boast of many visionary leaders, including Neil Dierks who contributed to countless successes and faced innumerable challenges. The National Pork Industry Foundation established the Neil Dierks Scholarship, designed to support students seeking a graduate degree in a field related to the pork industry at a land grant university, to help create more leaders for this vibrant industry.

As CEO of the National Pork Producers Council, Neil encouraged, challenged, supported, and equipped members as they advocated for opportunities in trade as well as reasonable regulation. Above all, Neil nurtured leadership for the pork industry, seeking and elevating talented persons with a variety of skills to serve as resources and decision-makers for today and tomorrow.

This $5000 one-time scholarship to be given to one individual annually carries on Neil’s mission to equip new leaders for the industry he served so well. The scholarship will be administered by the National Pork Industry Foundation with applications due each December with the award made annually during Pork Forum.

CLICK HERE to download the application for the Neil Dierks Scholarship. The National Pork Industry Foundation appreciates your interest in working in the US pork industry and welcomes your application.

National Pork Industry Foundation Board of Directors: Tom Pitstick, Howard Hill, Gary Machan, Barb Determan, Danita Rodibaugh, Jan Archer, Jess Campbell, Sam Carney, and Scott Hays.

For more information about the Neil Dierks Scholarship Foundation, please contact Janine Van Vark, Director of Outreach Marketing at NPPC, vanvarkj@nppc.org